Sanctuary AI
The Vancouver company behind Phoenix is bringing its manipulation software to industrial robots while developing dexterous hands.178
- Founded
- 20181
- Origin
- Vancouver, Canada1
- Founders
- Geordie Rose, Suzanne Gildert, Olivia Norton, Ajay Agrawal1
Picking up a rigid box is one challenge. Guiding a flexible wire into a moving socket is another. Sanctuary AI is concentrating on that second kind of work: tasks in which a robot has to adapt as an object bends, slips or changes position. Its Phoenix robots made that ambition visible, but the company's current commercial direction also puts its AI onto existing industrial machines.57
Visit Sanctuary AI ↗Where the company came from
Sanctuary began in Vancouver in 2018. Its founders were Geordie Rose, Suzanne Gildert, Olivia Norton and Ajay Agrawal. The group brought together experience in robotics, artificial intelligence and the economics of turning research into businesses. Norton had led Kindred's Vancouver AI group, Gildert had co-founded Kindred and worked at D-Wave, and Agrawal founded the Creative Destruction Lab.123
The 2023 Phoenix introduction gave the software a central role. Phoenix supplied a body for physical work, while Carbon supplied the control system. Sanctuary described AI for task and motion planning alongside human supervision and remote operation. That combination makes the operator’s role part of understanding how the robot works.5
Sanctuary’s team page names Daniel Friedmann as chief executive and chairman, with co-founder Olivia Norton leading engineering and operations. Friedmann previously led MDA and Carbon Engineering.24
The business operates under the name Sanctuary AI; its legal name is Sanctuary Cognitive Systems Corporation.712
From Phoenix to the factory floor
Sanctuary develops both the control software and the hardware used to learn physical tasks. Its industrial-arm work and Phoenix program show two ways of putting that software to use.57
Phoenix
Phoenix has evolved through several generations. Generation 8 uses a wheeled base and emphasizes collecting data to improve robot control. Earlier legged versions belong to a different stage of the program; the platform’s changing form reflects its role in developing physical skills.56
Industrial robot AI
In June 2026, Sanctuary announced a broader industrial strategy. It reported a wire-plugging proof of concept against an unnamed automotive supplier’s production benchmarks, with a success rate above 99.5% and a 2.54-second cycle time. Those company-reported figures describe that industrial task and setup, rather than Phoenix performance.7
What to watch next
The current portfolio separates several stages of development. AI-controlled industrial-arm solutions are presented as deploying now; proprietary hydraulic hands remain in development; mobile platforms are described as piloting soon. Industrial humanoids sit further along the roadmap. For a family following home robotics, this is progress in a useful underlying skill, with no verified household Phoenix offer attached to it.8
Start with a particular job, such as placing a connector into a socket, and ask what happens when the part arrives bent or out of position. How many attempts need human help? Can the same system handle a different part without extensive retraining? Those answers make Sanctuary's progress easier to judge than the resemblance of its robot to a person. For Phoenix's changing hardware, continue to the dedicated product profile.67
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Sources and notes
- Sanctuary Series A issuer release
Issuer announcement of March 2, 2022: founders, Vancouver origin and the CAD 75.5 million Series A. Historical financing, not revenue or current cash. Source checked 2026-10-25.
- Sanctuary leadership
Company biographies identify current leadership and historical professional backgrounds. Source checked 2026-10-25.
- Suzanne Gildert biography and career
Founder-authored biography; historical roles, not current Sanctuary employment. Source checked 2026-10-25.
- Daniel Friedmann appointed CEO
The company’s appointment announcement describes Daniel Friedmann’s prior leadership roles. Source checked 2026-10-25.
- Phoenix sixth-generation introduction
The May 2023 Phoenix and Carbon introduction describes the sixth generation. Its hardware specifications do not apply to every later Phoenix. Source checked 2026-10-25.
- Phoenix eighth-generation data-capture platform
Generation 8 is a wheeled data-capture platform; older legged machines are separate generations. Source checked 2026-10-25.
- Sanctuary expands industrial Physical AI strategy
Company-reported proof of concept on industrial hardware for an unnamed customer: over 99.5% success and a 2.54-second cycle for the stated task. Includes reported information. Source checked 2026-10-25.
- Sanctuary solutions roadmap
The maker distinguishes deploying industrial-arm solutions, hands in development, mobile platforms approaching pilots and future industrial humanoids. Source checked 2026-10-25.
- Canadian government SIF investment
CAD 30 million government contribution announced November 30, 2022. The CAD 120.8 million project size is a different measure; the announcement is not proof of full payment. Source checked 2026-10-25.
- BDC and InBC financing issuer release
July 2024 financing announcement names BDC and InBC, without a round amount. Its cumulative dollar figure does not specify a currency or reconcile funding categories. Source checked 2026-10-25.
- Zeon investment and materials partnership
Zeon’s investment and materials partnership are described in a release carried by Sanctuary, without an amount or exact publication date in the inspected body. Source checked 2026-10-25.
- Sanctuary website terms
Company terms identify Sanctuary Cognitive Systems Corporation. Source checked 2026-10-25.
- Sanctuary issuer news archive
Used to establish dated release context, not a current retail status. Source checked 2026-10-25.
We use official disclosures and other identified sources. Company claims are attributed; these profiles do not represent hands-on product testing. Our editorial and AI-use policy.
